Smuggled birds fueling huge black market

US officials have returned 149 parrots and parakeets that were sedated,
hidden and smuggled into the US from Mexico.

The birds will be returned to their native habitats in southern
Mexico or kept for breeding purposes if veterinarians determine they cannot
survive in the wild.

According to authorities, a thriving black market has been created for pet
birds due to strict quarantine rules, partly in response to outbreaks of exotic
Newcastle disease in California, with some of the birds fetching up to $1,000
apiece.

"This is all about money," said Assistant US Attorney Anne Perry. "It's all
about getting around the quarantine, which can be very expensive."

Smugglers routinely quiet birds with sedatives to stop them from making a
noise. "This is the black market - they certainly aren't using
veterinary-approved methods," said Lorraine Concha, an assistant special agent
in charge for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego.